Exciting. Intimidating. Challenging. Encouraging. Discouraging.

These are some of the emotions we face when we commit to mastering something new.

The first time I gave a ‘speech’ was in my postgraduate year, presenting my research findings to fellow students and examiners. I was so nervous I felt sick. Afterwards, I felt proud of what I had achieved.

My first big public event was in the Great Hall of Victorian Parliament at a formal International Women’s Day lunch in the mid-1990s. I spoke about the experiences of refugees from Myanmar living in camps along the Thailand border, having just returned from two years as a volunteer English teacher.

My first paid leadership keynote was in 2014.

Speaking in front of an audience is a very public way to learn. The feedback is immediate. Sometimes encouraging. Sometimes confronting.

Over the twelve years since, my confidence has deepened. My message has sharpened. My stagecraft has lifted. My impact has grown. I have learned to manage and channel the pre-stage fear rather than be ruled by it.

My standards have lifted too. In the quiet moments after I step off stage, even after generous audience conversations, I still focus on the small things I could refine. The difference now is that I consciously celebrate what went well as well.

Growth is rarely glamorous. It is repetition. Refinement. Feedback. Doing it again. And again.

Our leadership evolves in the same way.

How has your leadership developed over time?

Perhaps you now take in your stride challenges that once felt overwhelming. Your ability to handle pressure has strengthened. You are less reactive. You lead with greater clarity. Fear may still show up, but it shows differently.

This week I am releasing a new keynote showreel. It is a snapshot of where my thinking, message and presence have evolved to. If you’re curious, you can watch it here.

When I look at the rooms I work in now and the impact I create, I feel proud. I know it is not luck or natural ability. I have done the work.

If you are reading this blog, I suspect you are doing the work too.

If it wasn’t Febfast (so no wine for the month) I would raise a glass of bubbles – to us, and to ongoing learning, even when it feels hard.

Go fearlessly – Corrinne